Group Leadership Project: iPads in the Classroom

Brian Walker, Kyle Heffelbower and I, Angelica, decided that since we all have interest in using mobile devices in our classroom we would focus our project on iPads and Apps use. We put together a video that explains why this technology is so effective and beneficial to student learning. We also shared a few applications worth knowing. And we concluded with a list of useful resources to aid and support the viewer who may seek more information. 

         

We used Google Presentation, Camtasia and YouTube to produce our own video segments. Google Presentation allowed us to collaborate and input our information on a format that could be viewed, revised, and shared with each other. We decided the role each of us would take when creating our video and then independently began that process.  I put our Google Presentation in view mode and with Camtasia and a microphone began to record my portion of the Presentation as did each group member. We then uploaded our individual videos to YouTube where Brian strung all the videos together and created a playlist. The playlist (that you see here) is a compilation of seven videos averaging between one to three minutes each. The entire playlist is almost thirteen minutes long. An interesting note, is that our original video was nearly twenty minutes long!  A tremendous amount of editing was necessary to complete our project. Many decisions had to be made regarding what to keep and what to omit. After some discussion we came to an agreement and the results were satisfying.

So as a result, I not only learned how to apply the use of iPads in the classroom as well as learn of the latest developments in educational apps in the classroom, I also learned to produce a video, which I had never done prior to CEP 812.  I also learned how to use recording software and decide which suited my needs best. I became informed on the options available and how to utilize them. I learned more about Google Docs and YouTube and the services they offer. But I ultimately learned how to collaborate virtually with a group.

If I had to develop another product like this, the only thing I may do differently is to include the length expectation in our initial plans. It's not that we didn't do that. We definitely did. We just did not realize that we did until we recorded our segments. In the future, I would just create a more specific plan to meet our time requirement. This would eliminate the need for excessive editing later.